Buffett's Second-Favorite Bank May Surprise You

Berkshire Hathaway added 705,000 shares of U.S. Bancorp in the first quarter, but don't let the 13F filing fool you. It's not Buffett's second-favorite bank behind Wells Fargo: That would be Bank of America, with a $5 billion investment now worth $10.8 billion.

Every quarter, large money-managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold via 13F filings. While Fools don't always (or even usually) follow what the big money does, we can often glean an idea or two by tracing their footsteps.

A look at Berkshire Hathaway's (NYSE:BRK-A)(NYSE:BRK-B) most recent 13F, or Warren Buffett's annual shareholder letter, could easily make it seem like U.S. Bancorp (NYSE:USB) -- in which Berkshire bought another 705,000 shares in the first quarter -- is Buffett's second-most favorite bank behind Wells Fargo,Berkshire's largest stock holding. However, this overlooks one major detail about another huge bank investment that doesn't show up on the 13F: Berkshire's $5 billion warrants in Bank of America (NYSE:BAC).

In the video below, Foolish contributor Jason Hall gives some insight into why these huge banks are such a big part of the Berkshire Portfolio. Do they belong in yours? That depends. Check out the video for more insight.

Jason Hall owns shares of Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool recommends Bank of America and Berkshire Hathaway. The Motley Fool owns shares of Bank of America and Berkshire Hathaway. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Author

Born and raised in the Deep South of Georgia, Jason now calls Southern California home. A Fool since 2006, he began contributing to Fool.com in 2012. Trying to invest better? Like learning about companies with great (or really bad) stories? Jason can usually be found there, cutting through the noise and trying to get to the heart of the story.
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